In this document, the Office of the Managing Director (OMD) makes nonsubstantive, editorial revisions to correct outdated cross-references in the Federal Communications Commission's Open Video System (OVS) rules.

In this document, the Commission eliminates the sports blackout rules for cable operators, satellite carriers, and open video systems. Elimination of the sports blackout rules will remove unnecessary and outdated regulations and remove regulatory reinforcement (and the Commission's implicit endorsement) of the NFL's private blackout policy, which deprives consumers of the ability to view on television the teams that they have subsidized through publicly-funded stadiums and other tax benefits. Elimination of the sports blackout rules may not end all sports blackouts. To the extent that the NFL (or any other sports league) chooses to continue its private blackout policy, it will no longer entitled to the protections of the sports blackout rules. Instead, it must rely on the same avenues available to any other entity that wishes to protect its distribution rights in the private marketplace.

This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part.

Comments may be filed on or before March 16, 2015, and reply comments may be filed April 14, 2015. Written comments on the proposed information collection requirements, subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13, should be submitted on or before April 14, 2015.

47 CFR Parts 25, 73, and 76

Summary

In this document, the Commission proposes to expand to cable operators, satellite TV providers, broadcast radio licensees, and satellite radio licensees the requirement that public inspection files be posted to the FCC's online database. In 2012, the Commission adopted online public file rules for broadcast television stations that required them to post public file documents to a central, FCC-hosted online database rather than maintaining the files locally at their main studios. Now that television broadcasters have completed their transition to the online file, the Commission believes it is appropriate to commence the process of expanding the online file to other media entities to extend the benefits of improved public access to public inspection files and, ultimately, reduce the burden of maintaining these files.

In this document, the Office of the Managing Director (OMD) makes nonsubstantive, editorial revisions to correct outdated cross-references in the Federal Communications Commission's Open Video System (OVS) rules.

Comments are due on or before February 17, 2015, and reply comments are due on or before March 2, 2015.

47 CFR Part 76

Summary

In this document, the Commission propose new rules designed to better reflect the fact that video services are being provided increasingly over the Internet. Specifically, we propose to modernize our interpretation of the term “multichannel video programming distributor” (“MVPD”) by including within its scope services that make available for purchase, by subscribers or customers, multiple linear streams of video programming, regardless of the technology used to distribute the programming. Such an approach will ensure both that incumbent providers will continue to be subject to the pro-competitive, consumer-focused regulations that apply to MVPDs as they transition their services to the Internet and that nascent, Internet-based video programming services will have access to the tools they need to compete with established providers.

In this document, the Commission eliminates the sports blackout rules for cable operators, satellite carriers, and open video systems. Elimination of the sports blackout rules will remove unnecessary and outdated regulations and remove regulatory reinforcement (and the Commission's implicit endorsement) of the NFL's private blackout policy, which deprives consumers of the ability to view on television the teams that they have subsidized through publicly-funded stadiums and other tax benefits. Elimination of the sports blackout rules may not end all sports blackouts. To the extent that the NFL (or any other sports league) chooses to continue its private blackout policy, it will no longer entitled to the protections of the sports blackout rules. Instead, it must rely on the same avenues available to any other entity that wishes to protect its distribution rights in the private marketplace.